TNAG-1236-FCO40-1549-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 81

CODE 18,77

Никонора

Mr Clift

1983

π Alb

cc: Mr Thomson, FED

Aw Bam's

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference..

+KK 040/1148

At least there's a

Complement to Britain for

Laving

Mr. Donald to see

Mr Walker, Research Dept

Din

is/

Mr Martin, Assessments Staff

PUSD

adme wired

Hay Kay well! Astrald

1972

CHINESE EMBASSY'S NEW YEAR RECEPTIONS

1.

You may like to glance at the attached containing accounts from the HKGO and the Hong Kong media of what Ambassador Ke had to say on Hong Kong's future at:

a Union of Chinese Associations in Britain' party on 6 February;

(a)

a New Year Reception on 4 February;

(b)

(c)

2.

a Second New Year Reception on 8 February.

There is nothing very new here. Ke sounds particularly uncompromising. His main points were:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Hong Kong 'individable' part of China and no room for negotiation on sovereignty;

HMG must 'leave' Hong Kong on 30 June 1997 and not a day later;

when Hong Kong becomes autonomous there will be no change in its capitalist system, style of living, social system, and it will continue as a financial centre and free port;

Chinese flag will replace the present flag;

(d)

(e)

'Hong Kong civil servants

(f)

should remain';

British emblems would not appear on currency, but internationally convertible Hong Kong currency would remain;

(g)

slight changes to legal system;

(h)

Hong Kong people would have own passports, not Chinese ones.

CONFIDENTIAL

/3.